Southwest China

Thailand is actually quite close to Southwest China - the best part of China from travelers' perspective. Direct flights between Bangkok and Chengdu/Kunming in Southwest China make traveling to this part of China from Thailand much easier.

Jun 26, 2004
Lugu Lake

There are several flights between Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province and Xichang in south Sichuan. From Xichang, an early morning bus goes to Lugu Lake and takes about 8 hours. The journey is very zig-zig and motion sickness medications may be needed if you don't have a strong stomach.

I arrived at Lugu Lake in mid-afternoon (on the way to the village, entry fees are collected from tourists on the bus). Lugu Lake is between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and is famous for its matriarchal culture of the local Mosuo people, especially the walking marriage (or zouhun).

It's very relaxing to walk along the lake and in the village. I didn't seem to see a lot of people. However, I joined a show in the evening and it was almost full - I wonder where the huge crowd came from.

Jun 27, 2004
Lugu Lake to  Lijiang

Another half-day pleasant time at Lugu Lake then headed for Lijiang in the afternoon. I had been to Lijiang before so didn't spend much time at this very touristy town. The bamboo rice dinner was not bad.

Mosuo Houses, Lugu Lake

Jun 28, 2004
Shangri-La

Heading northwest from Lijiang, I arrived at Shangri-La county (formerly called Zhongdian). The most important religious site here is the Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery - the biggest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan province. It's quite a climb and visitors are advised to do it slowly due to the high altitude.

Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery, Shangri-La

Jun 29, 2004
Birang Gorge

Another interesting area to explore around Shangri-La is Birang Gorge. You can hike for a few days. Due to limited time, I hired a Tibetan folk with a house to get into the gorge - the most exciting point came when I finally saw the stone carvings in ancient Tibetan...

Stone Carvings, Birang Gorge

Jun 30, 2004
Shangri-La to Yading

As public buses are limited, I hired a car to take me to Yading near Dangcheng, in Sichuan province. It was a great plateau experience. The journey uses mainly the south route of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, passing Litang (with evaluation of 4,000 meters). On arriving at Yading, I found a very clean guesthouse run by an old Tibetan couple - the man speaks perfect Mandarin while his wife speaks Tibetan only.

On the Way from Shangri-La to Yading

Jul 1, 2004
Yading Nature Reserve

A whole day trip of the Yading Nature Reserve proved to be magnificent. Yading Nature Reserve offers both extreme natural beauty and significant religious importance.  There are sacred lakes and mountain peaks, rock carvings and friendly locals. Due to weather conditions, I only saw one sacred peak. The Tibetan tour guide told me it's better to come again in fall and all the peaks can be seen then. Hopefully I can make it to Yading again in the future.

Pearl Lake, Yading Nature Reserve

Jul 2, 2004
Yading to Kangding

Again due to limited public transportation, I hired a car to take me to Kangding, the seat of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province. Since it's still in the plateau, the scenery is splendid.

On the Way from Yading to Kangding

Jul 3, 2004
Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park

Before reaching Chengdu, I decided to check out Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park, near the town of Moxi. Definitely not the best glacier in the world but this glacier forest park is still interesting to visit and is relatively easy to reach. You need to spend half a day in the park so overnight at Moxi is a good idea.

Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park

Jul 4， 2004
Moxi to Chengdu

Almost a whole day journey from Moxi to Chengdu, passing Ya'an. The bus entered Chengdu in the afternoon and I saw many international high-tech firms in the west suburb of the city. The ever-popular Traffic Hotel is not a bad choice.

Qingyang Palace, Chengdu

Summary

Southwest China is one of the most scenic areas in the country. My loop covers only a small part of this region. Lugu Lake is very unique from the rest of China - in fact it's probably the only place where I didn't have to register to stay at a hotel. Yading Nature Reserve is one of the most beautiful places in China, as well as the road getting into/out of Yading. Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park is closer to populous cities in eastern Sichuan and is an optional stopover when traveling between Kangding and Chengdu.